ISM IB camparisons • An average ISM student (31 IB points) is given 413 UCAS points. An A Level student with three grade As only gets 360 UCAS points. • In the last 3 years, 25% of ISM’s IB students have scored 35 IB points or more, equal to 501+ UCAS point. An A Level student would need more than four grade As at A level to attain this. • A Grade 7 (top grade) in IB Diploma higher level is rated by UCAS as superior to a grade A in A Level. But Diploma students usually take 6 subjects. A Level students only take 3 or 4. 20 Judith Fabian, author of ‘Principled Teaching and Learning’, and head of programme development with the <strong>International</strong> Baccalaureate provides a model for today’s multicultural classroom. She writes that, “Teaching through concepts allows and encourages teachers to teach beyond the local context and national and cultural boundaries.” Is there a concept then that is illuminated by the study of the causes of World War One, a concept that applies not only to this one topic but can extend to other times, other locations, even other disciplines? If so, then there is hope for my students whose diverse range of experiences and individual ways of thinking can help to inform and enrich the potential power of that concept. Importantly, the study of events one hundred years past can take on new relevance to the student if it can shed light on current events abroad or just beyond their doors. With the international mindedness sought after in our and all IB schools, Fabian astutely claims that, “approaching those issues through key concepts will provide a breadth of knowledge and insight that will lead to a deeper understanding of the related local issue.” These key concepts are those powerful ideas that relate to the particular topic of study but also transcend both that topic and discipline. These key concepts are available now and twenty years from now, to provide context and meaning in new situations. My fifteen year old students can be equipped with more than just the narrative of Europe’s pursuit of new territories and the Anglo-German naval race. They can use these stories to add substance to their appreciation for the concept of change, the causes, processes and consequences of change – and use them to appreciate the forces that shape our world. When I project on the screen the words: Interaction between individuals, societies and environments causes and influences change, my students are given the foundation to open any text, newspaper, or blog for that matter, and think deeply and critically about that topic, event or issue. They can still give the account of Princip’s role in the assassination that sparked the Great War, but moreover they can find Princip in the arts, industry, and politics. With the multitude of news stories just a click away and any and all information within reach of a keyword, school isn’t just about divulging information any more. Students need an education that is more than a portfolio divided by the labels of their subject groups: “Science”, “Math”, “Geography”, “Music”, and “French”. They need a tool kit that functions across disciplines and beyond the classroom, a tool kit that is as functional now as it will be twenty years from now; and the <strong>International</strong> Baccalaureate Middel years Programme does just that. SUMMIT ISSUE 15 <strong>2012</strong> SEVEN THINGS THAT MAKE IB PROGRAMMES SPECIAL 1. IB programmes are recognized around the world and ensure an increased adaptability and mobility for IB students. 2. The curriculum and teaching of IB programmes focus on international perspectives of learning and teaching, while insisting that students fully explore their home culture and language. 3. IB World <strong>School</strong>s must undergo an exhaustive authorization process in order to offer one or more of the programmes, which includes a study of the school’s resources and commitment to the IB mission and philosophy. 4. IB teachers participate in a wide variety of professional development opportunities to constantly update their knowledge and share their expertise with colleagues around the world. 5. Many students graduating from the Diploma Programme find that it enhances their opportunities at tertiary institutions. 6. The core components of IB programmes encourage students to participate in creative and service-oriented activities, while at the same time emphasizing the importance of reflection on a personal and academic level. I bet you didn’t know this • IB Diploma students are more than twice as likely to enter the UK’s top 20 universities than A Level students • IB Diploma students are over 30% more likely to obtain a first class degree in the UK than A Level students • IB Diploma students are more likely to obtain an upper second class degree in the UK than A Level students • The median salary of IB Diploma graduates is about $2500 higher than that of A Level or equivalent graduates. • 57% of UK universities believed that IB diploma students had an advantage in admission over A Level students • The majority of UK universities rate the IB higher than A Level in areas of critical thinking, communication, self management, and motivation • 96% of UK university respondents appreciated broad curricula and liked this aspect of the IB Diploma. References: HESA Research Summary, 2011 (http://www.ibo.org/research/programmevalidation/ documents/HESAResearchSummary_Final.pdf) Education News report, 2011 (http://www.educationnews.org/ed_reports/education_organizations/155777.html)
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